Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester United: Five things noticed as one player showed how it’s done

Manchester United held Aston Villa to a 0-0 stalemate as Erik ten Hag’s side gain a Premier League point at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon.

Erik ten Hag made a host of changes with Harry Maguire starting as Manchester United travelled to face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The tie started slowly, with United and Villa standing off each other, neither side willing to take any unnecessary risks. Both keepers were tested from range, but neither had any worries.

Read More: Player Ratings – Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester United (Premier League)

However, after 30 minutes, the fixture began to heat up, with the referee being given earfuls from both sides after dodgy calls left players irritated. At half-time, the tie remained goalless, with Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui being replaced by Matthijs de Ligt and Victor Lindelöf due to injury.

The second half was more of the same. Both sides had half-chances at goal, but neither side threatened too much.

Jaden Philogene was handed a golden chance for Villa as the game crept deep into overtime, but a fantastic block from Diogo Dalot ensured that the points were shared on Sunday afternoon.

Here are five things we noticed from the tie.

#1 – Evans continues to surprise

When Jonny Evans was announced in the line-up, many were surprised, with some suggesting that disaster was looming against Villa’s fast-paced front line.

However, as the tie unfolded, Evans was in the thick of the action, holding his own against Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rodgers, not looking out of place in a high-pressure fixture.

Evans played the full game and was awarded the Player of the Match, showing United’s men what a true professional display looks like.

#2 – Lacking flair

United looked decent in the first half, with excellent performances from Evans and Mazraoui, making the latter’s substitution at half-time somewhat gutting.

During the first 45 minutes, they looked to disrupt Villa’s flow whenever possible, which was done successfully. Still, it did feel that this came at the expense of United’s flair, with Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Kobbie Mainoo somewhat limited.

#3 – Rashford a threat but deserving sub

Rashford was taken off after 63 minutes, and although he was United’s best threat in the first hour, Ten Hag was right to remove him.

After being questioned for making the same decision against Porto, Ten Hag needed to take the winger off as he was in danger of drawing a red card through two yellows, which would have made it the third red card in three games for the club.

Rashford has been on good form this season but has also seemed isolated at times against Villa, with United’s pack often very congested in the middle of the field.

#4 – A safe performance

The average positions of United’s players show that they set out to play a compact, safe game of football that would force Villa to take low-value shots from range to test Onana.

It was the performance that Ten Hag needed after the chaotic and shambolic results of late, but it remains to be seen if it will be enough to keep him in his current position.

#5 – Next: a big decision

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team, who were all in attendance at Villa Park today, have a big decision to make in the next few days.

With calls coming left, right, and centre to sack Ten Hag, this performance will give them something to think about as they prepare for a meeting on Tuesday in London.

The performance will have boosted the Dutch manager’s chances, showing that his side…

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